Fox Talk Show Host Sean Hannity Is A Shrewd Real Estate Investor

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity isn't just skilled at drawing an audience for his conservative views. Turns out he is also a shrewd real estate investor, buying up almost $90 million worth of property over the last 10 years or so.

According to the report by the Guardian, Hannity is linked to a group of shell companies which have spent $90 million buying hundreds of homes across the U.S, some of them available for lower prices due to foreclosures and partially due to help from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

More than 870 homes in seven different states were purchased over the past decade by the companies linked to Hannity, ranging from large mansions to rentals for low-income families. For some mortgages, Hannity obtained funding from HUD under the National Housing Act Loan Program, which refers to encouraging improvement in housing standards and conditions, to provide a system of mutual mortgage insurance which was first guaranteed under the Obama administration.

According to the report, HUD recently increased Hannity’s original $17.9 million mortgage for purchase in Georgia by an additional of $5 million. Hannity did not disclose his cooperation with HUD when he had HUD Secretary Ben Carson on his show in June 2017. During the segment, Hannity rallied against the state of public housing and praised Carson, telling him: “You have done a good job.”

Hannity’s real estate attorney Christopher Reeve said his client’s property holdings were “highly confidential” and not relevant to the public. Hannity also never disclosed that he was also a client of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The shell companies are registered to the offices of Henssler Financial, a wealth management firm. One of the firm’s principals, Bill Lako, appeared on Hannity's radio show.

The Guardian noted that Carson was not personally involved in any of Hannity’s dealings but that the HUD secretary has the power to allow Hannity to convert rental complexes into sellable condos. Hannity, who criticized Obama for the rate of foreclosures, said in 2016 there were “millions more Americans suffering under the president,” yet Hannity appears to have made the most out of those foreclosures.

Hannity issued a public statement blasting the Guardian's report with a headline that described it as the "latest fake news attack."

"It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money," Hannity wrote on his website. "The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support.

"I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected.

"The LLC’s are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties."

Several of Hannity’s properties were bought at a discount after their previous owners defaulted on their mortgages in 2013. Hannity was found to be the owner of many of the shell companies listed in the report, a fact his attorney did not dispute in a statement to the newspaper. The properties are located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels who is currently suing Trump and Cohen, said Sunday that Hannity’s work with Cohen was likely “far more extensive” than the conservative media personality has let on. Daniels is suing to void a nondisclosure agreement which refers to a confidentiality agreement brokered by Cohen that prohibits her from speaking publicly about her alleged affair with Trump.